"There's definitely stimulation of the body involved, so things like caffeine, excitement, stress - anything that increases adrenaline - may make fasciculations more likely," says Dr. Ondo says the biochemical mechanism isn't fully understood. "This is very common and these fasciculations usually go unnoticed, but in some cases, people do feel the muscle twitch."Īs for what exactly causes the peripheral nervous system to involuntarily trigger a muscle, Dr. "Fasciculations occur when innervation from the peripheral nervous system to the muscle is not working correctly and a muscle is triggered involuntarily, causing it to twitch," says Dr. These nerves trigger fine muscle movements day in and day out, so they're incredibly sensitive. The peripheral nervous system also helps control voluntary muscle movement, when motor nerves stimulate muscle contractions as needed and on demand. (Related: Why Does Hitting Your Funny Bone Hurt So Much?) You're likely already familiar with a few components of the peripheral nervous system, such as the median nerve, which is the nerve compressed during carpal tunnel syndrome, and the ulnar nerve, which is - incongruously - referred to as your funny bone. "These then connect to a series of different nerves that travel throughout the body - to the arms, legs, face and everywhere else. "The central nervous system includes the brain and the spinal cord," explains Dr. The human nervous system is divided into the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. This does, however, make it important to know when to take them seriously." What causes muscle twitching? "Sometimes fasciculations can be a sign of an underlying health condition, but rarely. "They can be disruptive, but fasciculations are usually nothing to worry about - although many people are still curious to understand why they happen," says Dr. The most common places to experience muscle twitching includes the lower eyelid and legs, but muscles throughout your body, including the ones in your arms, feet and lower abdomen, can twitch as well. "About 70% of people report experiencing them." William Ondo, a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders at Houston Methodist. "Fasciculations, which are random, involuntary muscle twitches, are extremely common," says Dr. And if they happen to you frequently, you might worry whether they're normal. The zings, fizzles and ever-so-slight thumps of a twitching muscle feel weird, kind of unsettling. Small muscles in your legs start twitching, seemingly taking on a mind of their own. You're just sitting at your desk and suddenly tic, tic, tic.
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